Fiji’s Loloma Hour turns sustainability into a good timeFiji

Fiji’s newest national initiative is basically a love letter to the planet, written in biodegradable ink, of course. It’s called Lolomo Hour and it’s doing great things for the environment. But first, a bit of background info.

Loloma means love in Fijian, and honestly, if love were a happy hour, it would look a lot like this: a chance to give back to the islands we so often take from (minus the hangover, inflated bar tab, or cringey karaoke).

Their idea is simple: take an hour out of your holiday to do something good for the environment, the community, or the culture. In return? You get a soul cleanse with a side of smug satisfaction. That’s the kind of shot we can all handle.

Created by the legends at Tourism Fiji, Loloma Hour is the world’s first environmental happy hour (move over espresso martinis), and it’s rolling out across resorts, hotels, and dive boats faster than a coconut can fall on your head. Their goal is to rack up 5,000 hours of guest-led goodness in the first year. That’s 300,000 minutes of reef planting, litter collecting, and cultural immersion.

The initiative is built on four very noble pillars: giving back to wildlife, giving back to the community, giving back to the reef, and giving back to the coastline. Which roughly translates to ‘pat an iguana, chat to a village elder, rehome some coral, and pick up someone else’s beer can without grumbling’.

One day you’re sipping something tropical on the deck of the Seventh Heaven floating bar, the next you’re knee-deep in coral fragments at their reef rehabilitation program. Maybe you’re weaving mats with local women at Sofitel’s Culture Hour, or cruising with sharks off Barefoot Kuata Island in a citizen-science shark dive. At Viani Bay Resort, you can even get up close with giant clams, nature’s answer to the big-budget action star.

Some resorts go all in, like Likuliku Lagoon’s Fiji Crested Iguana Conservation Program (adorable lizard alert) or Six Senses Fiji with their coral nursery that’s basically an underwater botanical garden for Nemo’s cousins. Meanwhile, over at InterContinental Fiji, you can literally trade beach trash for a latte. That’s right, Litter for a Latte may be the best incentive ever invented for tidying up.

The beauty of Loloma Hour is that it doesn’t feel like an obligation. There’s no guilt-trip, no plastic pledge, no sob stories playing on loop. It’s just you, some sunshine, and a little slice of feel-good action. Like going to the gym and discovering it serves fresh coconut water, and thanks you personally for attending.

The best part? You don’t need to be a marine biologist or a UN diplomat to get involved. You just need an hour. And, ideally, a strong sunscreen.

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